Display and vending apparatus



APPARATUS Filed March 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD BRUNHOFF, 0F WYOMING, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNHOFF'MANUFAO- TUBING COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DISPLAY AND VENDING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 10, 1927.

My invention relates to improyements in display and vending apparatus. One of its objects is to provide improved apparatus adapted to display candy and similar articles of commerce to advantage in show cases, and from which the articles displayed are adapted to be vended. Another objectis to provide such apparatus adapted to be shipped in sections knocked-down, in compact arrangement vandto be conveniently assembled where required for use. Another ob ect is to provide a display andvending apparatusin which the portion of articles to be displayed are displayed upon, the upper and front exterior, while the articles to be vendedv are contained and vended separately from trays contained beneath or within the structures employed to support the articles on display. Another object is to. provide a sectional apparatus adapted to be conveniently adjusted to fit the interior of show cases having either vertical or inclined fronts. My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will. be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of, a series of display and vending units assembled in a show case for use and embodying my improvements.

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the opposite side plates of one of my improved vending units, detached.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a front section of my improved unit detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a top plate of my improved unit detached.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the tray from which the articles are vended, detached.

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through one of the complete units assembled in a show case having an inclined front.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a uniting clip detached.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which 15 represents the base or floor plate of a show case, 16 a transparent front show case plate or panel of the vertical type, and 17 a transparent top show case plate or panel. The show case may be provided with a hinged rear wall or door 18, or not as desired.

Within the show case and arranged side by side are a series of sheet metal display and Serial No. 174,325.

vending units, each comprising two side plates 22 and 23 and a front plate 24 and top plate 27, united together to form a hollow super structure within which the vending tray 50 is loosely or detachably supported upon .the floor 15 of the show case. The side plates 22 and 23are right and left hand counterparts. The lower smooth edge 26 of each of the side plates 22 and 23 rests directly upon the floor 15 of the show case. The raw edges'28 of the side plates are directed toward the front of the show case. The rear edges 29 of the side plates at their upper, portions are provided withinwardly directed projections 30. The top plate 27 of each unit comprises a plane horizontal main section 33 surrounded upon three sides by raised side sections 34, and an end section 36, each raised section of the top being provided With anoutwardly and downwardly turned section 37. :The-

top plate is assembled with reference tothe two side plates 22 and 23 ,by inserting the raW upper edges 40 of the side lates between the side sections 34 of the top and the sections 37 attached to said side sections 34, while, the projections 30 of the side plates enter'between the section 36 and the section'37 attached. to

vsection36and at the ends of sections'36.

The front edges 28 .of the side plates 22 and 23 enterbetween the respective pairs of sections 42 and 43 of the front members 24, and the the section 44 of the front member overlaps the front edge 45 of the top member 27. The lower edges or corners of the sections 42 and 43 are cut diagonally at 46 to enable the front members 24 to be adjusted either vertically or at an inclination with reference to the side members 22 and 23, in order that the rounded edges 47 of members 24 may be fitted into close engagement with the inner face of the front panel 16 of the show case. The top member 27 forms a shallow tray to receive a layer of the articles for display purposes, and the recess 48 between the member 24 and the panel 16 of the show case also forms a shallow receptacle for articles to be displayed. A sheet metal tray 50 for each display unit is loosely and detachably slipped into the interior of the superstructure formed by the assembled side, top and front members 22, 23, 27 and 24, and is designed to contain the articles to be vended, and from which the articles are vended as required, while the articles on display are not disturbed. The trays 50 rest upon the floor of the show case 15 where a series of display units are mounted side by side in a show case. I preferably employ a series of metal clips 52, slipped over the edges 34 and 37 of tWo adjacent top members 27 to lock said top and Side members tem porarily together in pairs.

It will be noted that when the display units are assembled in a show case and the articles for display placed in a shallow layer over the front and top of each unit, the appearance from the front of the show case is that of a large volume of goods heaped up within the show case, and an appearance of vending the goods directly from such heaps, while in reality but little of each grade of articles to be vended is on display or on hand for sale, thereby preserving the bulk of the goods from injury and loss of quality or appearance through exposure in the Show case to dry atmosphere, dust or other injurious factors.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a display and Vending apparatus, a superstructure comprising side members resting at their lower edges upon the floor of a show-case, a top member having raised sides and one raised end and seated upon and engaging the upper edges of said side members and forming a shallow tray above said superstructure to display articles, and a front member engaging the front edges of said side members and having a section overb lapping the front edge of said top member and forwardly projecting side flanges to form a shallow recess for display articles becase, a top member having raised sides and 1 one raised end and seated upon and engaging the upper edges of said side members and forming a shallow tray above said superstructure to display articles, and a front member having sides folded upon themselves to adjustably engage the front edges of said side members between the folded sides of said front member, and with the upper edge of said front member bent rearwardly therefrom and overlapping the forward edge of said top member, said front member being provided with forwardly projecting side flanges to form a shallow recess for display articles between said front member and the front panel of a show-case, said superstructure forming a chamber within which to house a tray containing the articles to be vended.

3. A display apparatus comprising side members, a top member having raised sides and one raised end seated upon the upper edge of said side members for displaying articles, and a detcahable front member having forwardly projecting sides and a horizontally rearwardly extending flange therebetween, said rearwardly extending flange overlapping the front edge of said top mem- In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

EDWARD BRUNHOFF. 

